Description
8.2cm Sharks Tooth otodus obliquus, Mackerel Shark in natural matrix
This is a large 8.2cm Sharks Tooth, otodus obliquus, the Mackerel Shark in matrix. The actual tooth is in excellent condition, with the matrix being natural, and not a composite. This would make an attractive display piece in any fossil collection.
The Mackerel Shark, Otodus existed approximately fifty to sixty million years ago. This was during the Eocene period. The actual name ‘Mackerel Shark’ refers to the shape of these sharks, and not their diet. They were streamlined and ‘fish’ shaped and lived in open seas. The actual name ‘otodus’ derives from the Greek ‘ear shaped’ tooth. These sharks fed on large bony mammals, also large fish and almost certainly other sharks.
These mackerel sharks grew up to 9 metres long. Like other species of shark their bodies were made up of cartilage and as opposed to bone. Because of this very few skeletal structures have been discovered. It is generally only fossil remains of their teeth are found. The Mackerel Shark was one of the most ferocious predators of its time. Although smaller than the Megalodon Shark, the otodus was still much larger than todays Great White Shark. There is an ongoing debate as to whether these sharks evolved into the even larger Megalodon Sharks.
